Labor in the Gilded Age

Labor in the Gilded Age Lecture 1 The Great Strikes and Demonstrations

Administrative • Reading for next time • Montgomery – Work Rules and Manliness… • Haymarket Anarchist…Fights for Freedom • Reading for class after movie • George Pullman Defends Managerial Paternalism • Samuel Gompers Defends the Right to Strike • Movie in class next time – snacks!

Review • Working conditions and relations among different parts of the working class from the Civil War to 1880 • Development of unions, especially national labor federations, especially the Knights of Labor

Today I- Period of great strikes II- The Haymarket Square Riot

I- Period of Great Labor Upheavals • Great labor wars between workers and the monopoly capitalists • Demonstrations that employers and their allies in government were determined to crush • Employer claim that strikes and unions were the work of anarchists, communists, and were un-American

Focus of Strikes: Heart of American Industry • Railroads • Railroad Strike of 1877 • Strikes against Gould’s railways in 1885 and 1886 by the Knights • Strike by American Railway Union against Pullman in 1894 • Mining • Metal Miners, Coeur D’Alene Idaho • Coal Miners, Tennessee • Steel – The Homestead Strike - 1892

Government and Strikes • In many of these cases, the union was poised to win a great victory • In most of those, government intervention on the side of the employers turned the tide • Some took the lesson that workers needed political influence • Others took the lesson that unions should stay out of politics in the hope that government would then stay out of union business

II- Haymarket Square Riot • May 1886 • Began with the demand that workers implement the 8-hour day on May 1, 1886 • On May 3, lockout at McCormick Harvester works turned violent

Chicago Central Labor Council • Led by Anarcho-Syndicalists • One was Albert Parsons, who was told to get out of town during the 1877 railway strike • Called demonstration downtown to protest the police action at McCormick the previous day

The Demonstration • Series of fiery speakers • The Mayor left, stopping at the local police station to tell the police chief it was a peaceful meeting and there was no problem • Police arrived

The Riot • Bomb thrown, no one knows by whom, into the police ranks • One killed immediately (several died later) and many injured • Police began shooting and clubbing wildly • No one knows how many died but over 200 injured

Aftermath • Group of men charged • Included Parsons and his associate August Spies • Both had left the demonstration around the same time the mayor did

Aftermath • State’s Attorney said, “Convict these men, make examples of them, hang them, and you save our institutions.” • Chicago police instituted reign of terror against dissident groups • Same State’s Attorney told the police to, “Make the raids first and look up the law afterwards.”

Trial • Parsons went into hiding • Candidates for the jury chosen by a special bailiff instead of at random • One was a relative of a police victim • Others admitted prejudice but were permitted to serve anyway • Evidence filled with contradictory and unclear statements and obvious lies

Trial • Jury was inundated with anarchist and socialist literature • Really defendants’ ideology that was on trial • All 8 convicted and five sentenced to death • Executed November 1887 • Others pardoned in 1894

Impact • Haymarket Square set back the labor movement for years • Simultaneously associated by the press with the Molly Maguires, the Anarchists, and the Knights • 1886 200,000 workers had achieved 8 hours. By one year later, only 15,000 still had it • Still has an impact now

Next Time • Film next class • Following class we’ll talk about the Pullman Strike

Labor in the Gilded Age Lecture 2 Film- The River Ran Red

Labor in the Gilded Age Lecture 3 The Pullman Strike

Administrative • Reading – finish this topic • Essay reminder

Review • Period of great strikes • Railroad – 1877 Railway Strike • Mining • Steel – Homestead Strike • The Haymarket Square Riot • Riot blamed on Anarchist-led unionists but clearly not their doing • Major setback for unionism

Today The Pullman Strike of 1894 • Eugene V. Debs and Industrial Unionism • The Pullman Company • Causes of the strike • Conduct of the strike • The Aftermath

I. Eugene Debs and Industrial Unionism • Born in Indiana 1855 • Had worked as Fireman and as Engineer • Popular and influential • Believed strikes not an effective labor weapon, advocated arbitration • Same time as he changed his mind about strikes, he began to doubt the effectiveness of craft unionism

I. Debs and Industrial Unionism • June 1893 American Railway Union founded • Early success in strike against Great Northern Railroad • Result was dramatic growth

II. The Pullman Company • George M. Pullman came from working class family • Developed idea for sleeping cars on trains • Success led to need for large factory which he built in Chicago in 1880 • Decided to build a model community for his workshops and workers

The Model Community • Rents 25% higher than in neighboring communities • Gas had to be bought from the company • Spies • In 1892 Pullman made $4,000,000

III. Causes of the Strike • Summer 1893, in midst of panic, Pullman decided to cut costs • Refused to reduce rents or cost of utilities • December 1893 strike • Result was that the men began to form branches of the ARU

III. Causes of the Strike • May 1894 elected committee to bring grievances to management • Next morning, three of the committee members were fired • Meeting of the full committee that evening decided on a strike unless the men were rehired

IV. Conduct of the Strike • Pullman went on vacation • Workers formed strike committee • For a month, strike remained local and peaceful • June 12, 1894 ARU opened its first national convention, in Chicago • Debs predicted boycott would become national strike

IV. Conduct of the Strike • After 4 days 125,000 workers on strike • Initially quite peaceful • Widespread support by workers of all kinds • Mail cars moved fine and almost no violence at all in Chicago • Clearly the workers were winning

IV. Conduct of the Strike • Media turned against strike once it spread beyond Pullman • Still clearly the workers were winning • Of the 24 rail lines feed Chicago, 13 were virtually immobilized

IV. Conduct of the Strike Intervention of the Federal Government • Key was Attorney General Richard Olney • Olney wired US Attorneys to protect mail • Federal marshals ordered to protect mail • Debs publicly offered to assign union work crews to any mail train that did not have a sleeper car attached

Intervention of the Federal Government • Olney wanted Cleveland to send troops • Interference with the mail provided the excuse • June 30, Olney appointed a special federal counsel in Chicago • His main function was to help railroads secure injunctions against the strike

Intervention of the Federal Government • Application for injunction immediately granted • One of the most wide-ranging injunctions ever issued before or since • Debs and other officers enjoined • US Strike Commission • US Supreme Court upheld the injunction later • Debs decided to flout the injunction

Intervention of the Federal Government • July 3, Walker and others sent telegram to President requesting troops • Requested to protect federal property, mail, and enforce injunctions • Cleveland now ordered federal troops to Chicago • July 5 Debs offered again to end the boycott if the employer would agree to arbitrate the dispute

Intervention of the Federal Government • Major conflicts as well in Denver, San Francisco and several other places • Cleveland issued order against assemblages of any kind in Illinois • Still widespread public support for strikers • Judge Grosscup now called into session a grand jury to investigate the “insurrection” against the state of Illinois

IV. Conduct of Strike • July 8, Debs sent out call for support • Chicago Trades and Labor Council met • July 11, city-wide strike attracted only 25,000 supporters • July 12, AFL Executive met • Debs then proposed calling the strike off

IV. Conduct of Strike • July 17, four ARU officers rearrested • Bail set at $10,000 each • This time they decided to remain in jail • July 20 federal troops withdrawn • By August 1, the railroads had enough men and the trains were running again • August 2, ARU held meeting and declared the strike over

V. Aftermath • Widespread firing and blacklisting of strikers • No one ever prosecuted for violence against the strikers • Strikers frequently prosecuted • Debs convicted of contempt • Pullman Strike Repression was a Public Relations Disaster for Cleveland and the Democrats

V. Aftermath • Debs became a Socialist at the expense of US tax payers • Eventually became leader of the American Socialist Party • Ran for President five times • Labor Day

Next time • New craft unionism • American Federation of Labor • Industrial Workers of the World

Labor in the Gilded Age Lecture 4 The New Craft Unionism and Workers Before the Turn of the Century

Administrative • Quiz Reminder • Mid-term Reminder • Second Essay Reminder

Review • Railroad Strike of 1877 • The Haymarket Square Riot - 1886 • The Homestead Strike – 1892 • The Pullman Strike – 1894 • In each case, the government intervened to suppress dissent and to crush the workers

Today I- The New Craft Unionism II- Origins and Founding of the American Federation of Labor III- The World of the Workers, 1880-1900

I- The New Craft Unionism • Decline of the Knights following the unsuccessful strike against Gould’s railways and Haymarket Square Riot in 1886 • The Cigar Makers’ model of unionism • Why might cigar makers be among the intellectual leaders of the labor movement?

Cigar Makers Reorganization • Union reorganized by Adolph Strasser, who became president in 1877 • Aided by his ally, Samuel Gompers • In 1867 cigar makers had already become the first national union to admit women and admitted African-Americans at same time

Cigar Makers’ New Model • Centralization • Even more, entire emphasis on a narrow agenda • Wages • Hours • Working Conditions • Why did this narrow agenda work? • Adoption of this model seemed to breathe new life and vitality into the union movement

II- Origins and Founding of the American Federation of Labor Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions • Craft union federation founded in 1881 • Gompers chosen to lead it in 1882 • Compromise structure that had little impact • 1886 decided to dissolve itself and turn its funds over to a new organization, the American Federation of Labor

Labor in the Gilded Age